Hallucinogens

What are hallucinogens?

These drugs change or distort the way a person sees or experiences things, but they do not cause true hallucinations. A hallucination has no basis in reality even though it will seem real to the person having it. Hallucinogens are sometimes called psychedelics.

There are two types of hallucinogens

Natural hallucinogens - from plants or fungi

peyote cactus (mescaline)

magic mushrooms (psilocybin)

ayahuasca

cannabis (at high doses)

Man-made hallucinogens

acid (LSD)

angel dust

ketamine

laughing gas

ecstasy (at high doses)

The peyote cactus and magic mushrooms may look like dried food. Acid often comes on small squares of paper (often with cartoon type characters on it). Ecstasy is often in pill form.

The effect of hallucinogens depends on what the user expects to happen and on past experience with the drug. It also depends on how much the person uses and the environment they are in. People use these drugs in different ways. They may be snorted, injected, smoked, swallowed, rubbed on gums or other mucous membranes, or cooked in foods.